My 7 1/2 month old is not interested in being mobile at all- any suggestions?

Question

My son hates his belly with a passion- He screams bloody murder when I put him on his belly and will immediately roll to his back. He won't roll from his back to his belly. When a toy rolls away from him he doesn't try to get it he just reaches for one he can reach. He is very laid back and mellow. I'm concerned about crawling and pulling up. He does sit up unsupported but will not put himself there. He also loves to stand but he's not interested in trying it on his own. Does anybody have excercises or suggestions or games we could do? (Yes I'm sure someone will post don't rush these things because it makes life harder- but I want some exercises we can do to encourage crawling or pulling up.)

I'm just tired of everyone asking me and giving me a look like- "Oh he's not doing that yet."

Answer 1

First of all I will say what you don't want to hear but all babies do develop at different rates. My first was walking at 9 months and the 3rd did everything far later and walked coming on for 16 months.

To the question!

When he's on his back then take a hold of his ankles and move them up and down and sing a song - I used to sing run run as fast as you can you can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man. That might help develop the muscles that are needed beyond just standing still. Kids love songs and repitition so if you find a rhyme or song that he enjoys then you can exercise with him and it'll be just a game to him.

Arms - when he's on his back then take hold of his hands and move them in to his chest, stretch them out, up down and make a game of this too. Again- sing to him! He'll love your voice, no matter how silly you might feel! If his arm muscles develop more then he might get more adventurous when on the floor and be able to get himself into the crawling position either from sitting or from his belly.(once he starts to enjoy the belly poition that is! But if he gets to the point where he can raise himself up onto all 4s then you're on the home run)

Another thing I did was when they were on their backs was I'd take hold of one leg and gently swing it over the other to show them how it was meant to be done. The leg always goes first to begin with (at least it did with my boys) and the arm seems to follow naturally when they feel confident to go.

Try one of these bouncy seats
http://www.bloomingmarvellous.co.uk/product.aspx?CategoryID=n_bouncers_chairs&ProductID=5170&language=en-GB
They're great for a bit of exercise every day and if he's happy then you can play games with him too and get him used to reaching out taking hold of things. This will also help with the arm muscles.

Keep toys around him to the minimum. If there are plenty things handy then he'll never have to bother going to look for or fetch back something.

If he likes to stand then maybe get a push along frame that he can hold on to. You can get nice bright, flashy musical ones that are fun to push, or even one of those flat ones that come with bricks in it then you can maybe encourage him to move along and pick up something to put into it.

He might just not like being on his belly butt 99.9999% sure it is something he will get over.

I bought one of those crawling Pooh bears that's meant to really capture the attention of the baby and get them to imitate it crawling for my 3rd boy. Wish I hadn't! He just looked at it as it crawled by and he couldn't have been less interested!

Take him swimming. He'll get loads of exercise there and if you can support him in the shallow end and with armbands on and his feet just touching the bottom then he will maybe be more confident to try moving his legs with the support of the water and not having to bear the full weight of his body at the same time.

Once he discovers he can move - it's like a switch being flicked and it's great. Some folk think life is better the longer they sit but I love seeing them come on sooner rather than later and I think it helps them to develop their own wee characters far better since they are not constantly relying on someone else for everything.

I will probably think of something else when I switch off from here, but if you can help him exercise in a fun way a few times a day then it can only help.

Good luck.
(and don't worry!! Just had to throw that in!)

And that's 3 boys so the girl v boys arguement is out the window as they are proof that it doesn't matter the sex - they can be fast or slow.

Answer 2

I really wouldnt worry all babies are different and people should remember this instead of comparing them, I recently went to a parent and toddler group with my 9 month old and there was another lady there with her 8 month old who proceeded to tell me it was most likely my little one doesnt crawl or pull up to standing like hers because she is an only child, then she said is she an only child, my reply nope I have four, she just said oh well its not that then is it, no she just isnt ready yet and will do it when she is. My first born children who are now 10 didnt even sit up till 10 and 11 months, yet my third child was walking at 10 months, my 9 1/2 month old is going to be a little later like the other two as she has only just mastered sitting up but shes doing well. I know its easier said than done but try to ignore the comments from people who think just because theres did it at that age yours will, somewhere along the line there will be something yours is quicker at because theyre all so different

Answer 3

My first daughter was the same. Lay her on her front and she would just lay there with her face on the floor panicking. So no crawling for her. I bought her a baby walker (no nasty steps on our ground floor) and she learned to ram the back of people heels within about 3 weeks. As she never crawled she was walking just before she was a year old. Trick is not to pass everything they point at, they will find their own way of putting the jam sandwich in the dvd/video player.

Answer 4

I don't understand why you are so desperate to have him doing things before he wants to. He WILL do these things when his body is ready to. Ther are no exercises to encourage these things, because you could put strain on your babys bones and damage him. My son sat up by himself at eight and a half months old, crawled at nearly a year old but was walking by 13 months.

Would you rather have a hyper baby, scooting around, and keeping you up half the night with hyper energy? Enjoy your baby as he is, it's such a short period of time and passes by too quickly.

Answer 5

My son never sat up till 8 and half months, crawled at 9, walked at 15 months. He was always a good baby, just slow cause he was happy how he was, he is now 5 and no problems at all.

Answer 6

tell him, "the television is going off except you're ingesting" and turn it off till he starts ingesting. Ask to work out his mouth so which you will see that if he's swallowing and if he's not, furnish him a "scrumptious" drink. Use valuable words so which you do no longer create a detrimental association with ingesting. you additionally can ask him what he needs to eat. tell him "we're not going to (insert astonishing exciting pastime right here) till you have finished a million egg and a million yogurt (This works for my daughter).Be valuable approximately it, constantly compliment him while he does eat good. My daughter is two and 10 months previous, and intermittently has this difficulty too. some young infants are grazers and eat little bits all day as adversarial to important foodstuff. a million) cinnamon toast, buttered toast, frozen bread, bagels and easy cream cheese, grilled cheese sandwich, bran muffin, strawberries, pineapple, bananas, yogurt, yop, scrambled eggs, complicated boiled eggs! 2) i attempt to make somewhat of each thing for my daughter and save bringing the foodstuff out in waves, like a buffet i assume... some days she prefers some meals over others.

Answer 7

You could always lay on your front in facing him and make faces, shake toys etc. He may find it fun looking at you from this angle. Alternatively sit him in front of you and hold his hands pulling him to standing going up and down talking the movements through as you go.Singing songs as you encourage him will stop him thinking about what he is doing.

Answer 8

They say boys are slower than girls i know both my girls were mobile at 8 months but both the nephews took some months longer. Same with the talking. There all ok now. You might want to get one of those baby walker things they all seemed to love that. Gets them up feet feeling the ground and they see more. Other than that just normal play should be fine.

Answer 9

Please don't worry! I know with my first baby, I was always waiting for him to do the next new thing and move on to the next stage. Just play with him and enjoy him, try lots of games with him standing up on your lap if that's what you both enjoy. If you're keen to get him on his stomach, try lying down on the floor with him and singing or talking brightly with him while you're both on your stomachs, and keep eye contact with him. He really will do everything he's supposed to do, in his own time. Babies are their own little people with their own personalities right from the start and it sounds as though your little one is a lovely laid-back little chap!!

Answer 10

my daughter never liked being in crawl position,infact the first time she crawled to the door she screamed all the way.It was her feet she liked and was up on them and walking at 9 months,bit early really but it was what she did best .